The Complex Interaction Between Methamphetamine Abuse and HIV-1 Pathogenesis.

The global HIV/AIDS pandemic has claimed the lives of an estimated 35 million people. A significant barrier for combating this global pandemic is substance use since it is associated with HIV transmission, delayed diagnosis/initiation of therapy, and poor adherence to therapy. Clinical studies also suggest a link between substance use and HIV-disease progression/AIDS-associated mortality. Methamphetamine (METH) use is one of the fastest-growing substance use problems in the world. METH use enhances high-risk sexual behaviors, therefore increases the likelihood of HIV-1 acquisition. METH use is also associated with higher viral loads, immune dysfunction, and antiretroviral resistance. Moreover, METH use has also been correlated with rapid progression to AIDS. However, direct effects of METH on HIV-1 disease progression remains poorly understood because use of METH and other illicit drugs is often associated with reduced/non adherence to ART. Nevertheless, in vitro studies demonstrate that METH increases HIV-1 replication in cell cultures and animal models. Thus, it has been proposed that METH's potentiating effects on HIV-1 replication may in part contribute to the worsening of HIV-1 pathogenesis. However, our recent data demonstrate that METH at physiologically relevant concentrations has no effect and at higher concentrations inhibits HIV-1 replication in CD4+ T cells. Thus, the goal of this review is to systematically examine the published literature to better understand the complex interaction between METH abuse and HIV-1 disease progression.